How to Eat a Scone Properly
on May 26, 2016, Updated Mar 06, 2020
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Is there a proper way to eat a scone at afternoon tea? Why yes, yes there is. Get etiquette rules and tips, including step-by-step instructions on how to eat a scone, the correct way.
Like anything with afternoon tea, there are certain rules to follow to eating a scone correctly. I’ll give you the scone etiquette run-down.
Table of Contents
What is a Scone?
A scone is a small flour-based shortcake-like baked good. They’re usually plain, crumbly, dense, and lightly sweetened.
The traditional English scones for with afternoon tea are round, not triangular, and they’re served with jam and clotted cream.
How to Pronounce Scone
Is scone pronounced scon, rhyming with gone or is it scone, rhyming with own?
It seems like both are used depending on where you’re from. In the US, we usually say scone, rhyming with own.
Jam or Cream First?
Here is where the controversy comes in. Some people swear by jam first, then topped with cream (Cornish-style) and others, cream and then jam (Devon-style). I like cream first, then jam.
RELATED: What is Afternoon Tea? (All Your Afternoon Tea Questions, Answered)
How to Eat Scones
1. Scoop out clotted cream and jams onto your plate, enough for one scone.
If you’re at an afternoon or a cream tea service, on the table should be little serving containers filled with clotted cream, preserves/jams and lemon curd.
These little pots are for the table, so no dipping your own knife into them, or even worse, dipping your scone directly into the container. Instead, use the spoons provided (usually sitting right next to the little bowls) to scoop out small portions onto your plate.
Place the spoons back as they don’t belong on your plate. Try not to cross-contaminate and use a different spoon for each condiment.
Feel free to go in for a second serving of jam and cream if you’ve finished what’s on your plate.
RELATED: Afternoon Tea 101: Course Order
You’ve now got your jam and clotted cream on your plate. Time to eat the scone.
2. Break apart a small bite-sized portion of scone with your hands or if using a knife, cut the scone horizontally.
The best method is to break apart the scone into bite-sized pieces using your hands.
I like to break it in half vertically then break that into half so you’re eating a quarter of the scone at a time.
3. Use a knife to slather on cream and jam onto the broken-off piece of scone.
Don’t pre-break the scones but take off pieces as you go and spread the jam and cream on each piece.
The bite-sized piece of scone should be eaten in 1-2 bites.
Tips on How to Eat a Scone Properly
- A HUGE no-no is making a scone sandwich by putting the two halves together with the cream and jam in the middle. Don’t do it! Shudder.
- Scones are meant to be eaten with your fingers, not a fork. Actually, there really isn’t a use for a fork during the entire afternoon tea service. It’s strictly a knife and spoon affair.
- Scones are best when they’re served warm. Reheat them in your oven.
- At an afternoon tea, the scone course is the second course, after the tea sandwiches and before the sweets.
- Traditional scones at afternoon teas are the round, not triangular.
Thank you!
Finally, someone who gets me! My name is Elouise, and I used to live in England. We did a lot of afternoon tea there, me and my family, but when I moved to the U.S. and tried to have tea with my friends, I found that they did not eat there scones properly! Some of them made sandwiches while others did not put any toppings on at all, just stuffing it into their mouths! I has given me nightmares… not really, but it did make me cringe. They all laughed at me when I told them that they were eating it wrong.
“There’s no right way to eat a scone.” They said.
“Stop telling us what to do.” They said. And since I couldn’t bring them to England to prove to them that there is proper way to eat a scone, I searched the internet for a different solution. Now all of my friends know how to eat scones properly, though they eat them wrong just to annoy me. :-). this website has been a great help to me, and I am so glad that someone is trying to spread the word.
Thanks again, Elouise.
Hi Elouise, haha, glad to hear I was able to provide extra proof that there is indeed a proper way to eat a scone!
Come now Eloise! We Americans are not barbarians as you seem to imply! I, and my friends, know how to eat a scone properly! Never have I eaten one as you described.
Loved this!
Actually, “high tea” is often used incorrectly in this country – and it all has to do with the height of the table. Afternoon tea is usually served in the home around low tables in a living room while high tea refers to a meal served for supper around a high “sit at” table. The correct term for the low table tea is afternoon tea.
Hi Jane, yes, calling afternoon tea “high tea” is a BIG pet peeve! I wrote a post about it: https://www.ohhowcivilized.com/afternoon-tea-101-afternoon-tea-and-high-tea-definitions/
See video of how to eat a scone:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1Zf5kA7Icg
I put it in my mouth with cream, jam and more cream. And wash it all down with a nice cup of tea.
Haha, Noor, that’s basically the best way to eat scones!
I happened upon your excellent diagram of the three tiered cake stand which I use for teaching about High Tea.
There are too any stories about how to do High Tea, but after some research and participation in events at the Ritz in London as well as other high class establishments I have settled on the following :
1. Jam and cream are transferred onto the plate so as not to mark the ingredients in the serving vessels
2. Scones are never cut, they are always broken open into halves, top and bottom.
3. As to the issue of cream or jam first. If using clotted cream, which is very thick, then it is the first layer and jam on top. If using the lighter, usually ‘whipped to thicken’ cream then the jam is the first layer and cream on top.
4. High Tea is a finger food event. A knife for spreading a spoon for transferring and a spoon for the tea.
5 The definition I use with my students to help them focus on preparing an event is: “High Tea is the ‘luxury’ of small, high quality items, exquisitely presented, with a teapot and china cups.
It really should not be called “high” tea, but afternoon tea. “High” tea was for the servants and much more abundant than the three-course event including finger sandwiches, scones, and pastries. Also, it is perfectly okay to use a fork to eat the pastries or cake. By the way, scones were not originally served at tea time during Victorian times; they were added later.
Scones originated in Scotland and we pronounce it “scone” as in gone. Recently there was a poll in the UK and the majority of people also pronounce it this way. Yea! My friends are so used to hearing me say it this way, it’s rubbed off on them! 😉
If the jam is applied first, it is able to seep into the scone for added complexity.
Regarding which goes first, the jam or the clotted cream, lets let the Queen settle it:
https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/queen-scones-jam-cream-what-goes-first-debate-cream-tea-outrage-a8260686.html
Hi Jade, haha, NO, I will NOT let the Queen settle it!
In England it is regarded as quite vulgar to cut the scone, like cutting any bread with a knife at the table. You break the scone either in half through the middle or into bite-sized pieces. Any well-made scone will split in two fairly level. You should also never take the cream and jam and put them straight onto your scone. Using the jam spoon you should spoon some jam onto your plate. Using the cream spoon, spoon some cream onto your plate. Then using your own spoon spread either the cream then the jam – the Devon method, or the jam first – the Cornwall method. Which option you take here depends on your heritage and personal preference.
Hi Katharine, thanks for your comment. I updated the post to mention just the method I prefer, which is to break the scone with my hands into bite-sized pieces.